The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, in partnership with the National Shipbuilding Office and the Crown Estate, have appointed Cammell Laird shipyard to carry out a detailed analysis of the future market opportunity for UK built ships in offshore wind. 

The work will help develop knowledge of how the U.K. can provide vessel manufacturing to support offshore wind, delivering jobs and economic investment to communities around the country.

With over 850GW of offshore wind capacity expected to be installed globally by 2050, there is a need for major growth in the production of Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) to support this expansion.

SOVs are designed to provide efficient servicing and maintenance of offshore wind farms by, in effect, becoming mobile offshore operations & maintenance bases. They are a crucial part of supporting the growth of offshore wind.

Analysis carried out by ORE Catapult shows that hundreds of these ships are likely to be in operation around the world in the years to come, with an associated global market of nearly $45.3 billion between now and 2050.

“This work will help us to better understand what needs done to make this a reality, and outline ways in which industry and government can work together to develop a…

Finland’s Cinia said on Friday its C-Lion1 submarine telecoms cable between Finland and Germany, which was suspected to have been damaged in January, had been repaired.

Cinia suspected the damage had occurred in the early hours on January 26 in the same area where damage was detected in another subsea fibre optic cable linking Sweden and Latvia.

“The cable fault was minor and communications through the cable worked normally,” Cinia said in a statement.

The Baltic Sea region is on alert and the NATO alliance has boosted its presence after a series of power cable, telecom and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Most have been caused by civilian ships dragging their anchors.

(Reuters)

Singapore marine fuel sales fell to their lowest in 20 months in February, official data showed on Friday.  

Volumes at the world’s top bunker hub totalled 4.15 million metric tons, down 7.1% month on month and sliding 8.1% year on year, data from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) showed.

Weak demand has weighed on the market since the start of the year, dragging premiums down, trade sources said. 

Vessel calls for bunkering fell by 14.1% from the prior month to 3,075, hitting two-year lows, data showed.  

Sales of the mainstay 0.5% low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) softened sharply in February, totalling 2.07 million tons and hitting multi-year lows. 

Singapore delivered-basis bunker premiums for VLSFO logged year-to-date lows, sliding to single digits by late February after holding in low $10s in January, sources said. 

High-sulphur marine fuel (MFO) volumes dipped 1.9% at 1.62 million tons, though edging higher year on year.

In contrast, total marine gasoil sales rose 21.2% month on month at 314,600 tons.

Sales of alternative fuels held stable to higher. Marine biofuel volumes rose 2.8% to 110,900 tons, while a delivery for B100 or 100% biofuel was recorded for the first time. 

Meanwhile, liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker sales more…

Norwegian offshore supply vessel operator DOF Group has secured a contract for the installation of a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit from an undisclosed client offshore Africa.

DOF will deliver project management, engineering, logistical services and offshore execution.

The contract value has been deemed ‘significant’ by DOF, which means its value is between $15 million and $25 million.

To carry out the installation duties, DOF plans to utilize two of its Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels.

The project is scheduled for execution in the second quarter of 2025 in Africa.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered Norwegian Aqua cruise ship to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).

Norwegian Aqua is the first ship of the expanded Prima Plus Class that Fincantieri is building for NCL.

At 156,300 gross tons and a length that spans 1,056 feet, Norwegian Aqua is 10% larger than the first two Prima Class vessels, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, which also feature the craftmanship of Fincantieri.

In addition to the delivery of Norwegian Aqua, the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera will experience another milestone tomorrow, with the launching ceremony of Norwegian Luna, the sister ship to Norwegian Aqua, scheduled for delivery in spring 2026.

A double event which further strengthens the close relationship between Fincantieri and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, coming just weeks after the announcement of a landmark order for four approximately 226,000 tons cruise ships – the largest ever built for NCL by the Group.

As Japan navigates LNG supply uncertainties, decarbonization targets, and evolving global energy partnerships, the Pre-Summit Industry Panel, attended by over 100 senior energy professionals, explored the implications of the country’s Seventh Strategic Energy Plan and the investment climate for energy transition projects.

The panel featured senior representatives from global energy, finance, and policy institutions, offering international perspectives on Japan’s energy transition:

• Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (IEA) 
• Ken Kuroda, Senior Advisor, Cheniere Marketing
• Bruno Gaussorgues, Group Country Head – Japan, Societe Generale 
• Patricia Bader-Johnston, CEO, Silverbirch Associates KK 
• Max Takahashi, Director, Managing and Executive Officer, Japan Marine Science

Energy Security, LNG Supply, and Decarbonisation at the Forefront

With long-term LNG contracts nearing expiration, the panel underscored the urgency of securing new supply agreements amid shifting policies and geopolitical uncertainties. Ken Kuroda of Cheniere Marketing Ltd. addressed the challenges in increasing U.S. LNG exports to Japan, citing regulatory hurdles and cost constraints. “Long-term commitments are essential for securing stable LNG supply chains, but future demand…